QUESTION
What has been done about the complaints against for-profit colleges?
0:42:08
·
3 min
The Department of Consumer and Worker Protection has taken action against Berkeley College but was unable to proceed against Mendel, New York Career Institute, and TCI due to lack of observable violations.
- Actions against Berkeley College were based on evidence and observable violations.
- Investigations into Mendel, New York Career Institute, and TCI found insufficient evidence for further action.
- For consumers who complained about these institutions, the department plans to provide relief information and check on mediation work.
- The department ensures financial empowerment counselors are trained to identify potential violations of consumer rights.
Julie Menin
0:42:08
For profit colleges, you mentioned Burke We began that investigation when I was at the agency.
0:42:14
You mentioned relief for Berkeley.
0:42:16
What about the other 4 profit colleges that we subpoenaed?
Carlos Ortiz
0:42:22
Well, in the particular case of Berkeley, NASA NASA College, I think those were the situations where we saw and were able to collect evidence and observations that were able to bring a case to the office of administrative trials and hearings.
0:42:34
I'm not familiar with the other cases or the other 4 public colleges that that were that you're saying or county violation?
Julie Menin
0:42:41
Mendel, New York Career Institute, and TCI.
0:42:44
We had a a an investigation into those as well as toberk way.
Carlos Ortiz
0:42:58
I think ultimately in looking into those cases and and processing complaints, we were not able to proceed with the summons, and we instead focused on the cases in the case of Berkeley College, where we had observable violations that we could bring to oath.
Julie Menin
0:43:10
Okay.
0:43:11
So just so I understand.
0:43:12
So for all of the consumers who complained about these other 3, 4 profit college is what is the relief for those consumers?
0:43:19
Those students who were because we had, you know, tremendous complaints at that time.
0:43:24
So I if you don't have that information now, if you can please get to my committee that information for those other 3, 4 profit colleges.
Carlos Ortiz
0:43:32
Yeah.
0:43:32
I I'm really happy to get that to you.
0:43:33
I'd also I'll check-in on the mediation work that we form during those cases as well to assist the consumers.
Julie Menin
0:43:38
Okay.
0:43:38
In terms of OFE's 37 financial empowerment centers, Can you speak, send something in your testimony about it?
0:43:47
Can you speak more about what is happening in terms of preventing deceptive or discriminatory practices against whether it's, you know, debt collectors, predatory lending, I'm very interested in what Chair Williams mentioned about the 2 agencies working more collaboratively together.
0:44:04
I mean, does CCHR have materials at the OFE centers around the city?
Carlos Ortiz
0:44:14
So with respect to our financial empowerment centers, we ensure that our counselors are trained either through our consumer services team or consumer protection team to identify when issues come up such as potential violations of their consumer rights.
0:44:29
We also hold quarterly trainings for our counselors where we invite sister agencies to come in and also describe particular issues that they should be looking out for in order to serve their clients.
0:44:41
I think for us, it it is a particular the financial center location, and that interaction between the customer and client is a particular moment where we can really jump in to serve a New Yorker.
0:44:52
Moreover, we we do have a legal services contract with NILAG.
0:44:56
That contract, we're able to refer individual cases out to NILAG.
0:45:00
These could refer to potential issues around auto lending, for profit colleges, I think we've received or sorry, over the past year, we were able to throw out 300 cases to NILAG in that particular situation.
0:45:14
Again, I I think for for myself and and CCHR, coordination is essential.
0:45:18
I I we we do deliver to our financial power centers as well as our free tax her publications, of which there are over 140 literature from our sister agencies as well as our own literature.